Coming Home
by DancerOfDanger
Summary: Leo Fitz is being hunted. By who, you ask? No one knows. Ashlynn Grant is what Leo thinks a stable-hand his mother hired. But in reality, she's the only one that can lead them to an organisation named Tithus. An organisation that has only one goal. Protect S.H.I.E.L.D agents at any cost. Believe it or not, that's exactly what Ashlynn plans on doing. LEOxOC, GRANTxSKYE, COULSONxMAY


**Hi everyone! Thank you so much for giving this story a chance! I really hope you enjoy this, and I hope I'll get lots of reviews for this? Haha, I'm joking! This is a LEOxOC story, and it follows a group called Tithus... But I'm not going to give away the whole story, haha! Enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. the only thing I own are the OC's you will be introduced to, the plot and on occasion Grant and Ward ;).**

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**NORMAL P.O.V:**

From the green of the grass on the hills, to the ruins of the historic castles, it was a sight for sore eyes for Leo Fitz. Fitz hadn't been home since he joined Agent Coulson's team, and let me tell you now, he honestly had no idea how much he was missing home.

Leo let out a loud sigh, well, a quiet one, but it was so quiet on the bus that it made his sigh seem loud in comparison. Agent Coulson was in his office doing who knows what, Agent May was flying the bus, Agent Ward and Skye were in LA, and they had just dropped Simmons back home in England. Leo was alone.

The screech of the tires hitting the runway, let him know that he was finally in the place he called home what felt like years ago, though in reality it was only months. Leo gathered his luggage, and stepped off the bus, and onto the airstrip in the middle of Edinburgh. He took a look around, and a deep breathe in. He never thought he would be back so soon.

He walked over to the limousine beckoning his name. He wouldn't tell anyone this, but his parents were rich. Like, not what you think is rich, but seriously, they were almost the richest people in Scotland alone. The chauffeur opened the door for him, as he slid inside. The luggage was set in alongside him, and he heard the faint thud of a door being shut, before the limousine roared to life underneath him. That's how he got started in engineering. Building and rebuilding his parents' engines. No matter how many times he got in trouble for it, the scolding's never really made him stop.

"How was your trip, Master Leo?" Thomas asked. This seemed to wake Leo from the slight banter of his thoughts.

"It was intriguing. Thank you for asking Thomas." Leo replied with the upmost respect. He didn't believe in status. After being on the bus for so many months at one time, he almost forgot that he was part of the Fitz family in Scotland. Leo remembered that day, when Simmons accidentally stumbled upon his parent's charity dinner only a few weeks ago. He remembered the day like it was yesterday.

_"Fitz, are these your parents?" Simmons had asked. Fitz took one look at the computer screen, and almost let his jaw drop._

_"Ah, no. Fitz is a very popular name in Scotland, as I'm sure Simmons is in Britain." He had replied. He then went back to working on Snow and the Seven Dwarves, before she could ask any more questions. Simmons must have believed him, or dropped the matter for the time being, for she didn't ask another question about it._

"Mistress Leah and Master Timothy wanted me to tell you that they have a stable-hand working at the mansion now, but as per her agreement with your mother, she is also staying at the mansion." Thomas mentioned. It was good that mother and father finally found someone to take care of the horses in the rotting stables, as the last caretaker they had, wanted nothing to do with them, something about bad memories. It was indeed interesting to find that he would not have to exercise the horses, as they probably already had. The team didn't know that he rode horses either, and it was going to stay that way.

"That is interesting Thomas, tell me what is she like?" Leo couldn't help himself, he was generally interested in the girl.

"Well Master Leo, there isn't much to tell. She was only just hired, so no one except for you mother knows much about her. I'll tell you what I do know. Her name is Ashlynn Grant, and she has a horse named Nitro, pure Arabian. Such a stunner he is. Ashlynn is as beautiful as her name suggests. Dark, red hair, pale, fair skin and such green eyes she could put the grass to shame. There she is now master, to the right." Just as he said it, a girl, probably not much younger than he, came into view on a light grey Arabian horse. Her flaming hair was being swept off her back, as she defied the direction of the wind, and the massive smile on her face told him she was having the time of her life. Dare Leo say it, but she was beautiful.

She looked to the limousine, and nodded her head. She then proceeded to dig her heels into the horse's side, and run alongside the fence that separated her from the road. The horse lurched forward, and Leo felt the limousine start to speed up only the slightest. Seemed this girl liked to race. The family mansion soon started to come into view.

"She never wins Master. No matter how many times she races against me..." Thomas started, an obvious grin was conveyed in his voice.

"Thomas." Leo said, accidentally cutting the man off. The man's smile faltered, as he looked in the rearview mirror and then back to the road.

"Yes Master?" he asked, as he waited for his instruction.

"Let her win this time, a change of pace will be good for the girl." He relayed, as he watched her have the time of her life on the back of the horse Leo guessed was Nitro.

"Yes Master." Thomas could not hide the disappointment that laced his voice, but at the moment Leo didn't care. He felt the limousine slow down only the slightest, as the girl pulled ahead. She jumped and cleared the fence with deadly precision, and then raced into the courtyard of the family mansion.  
She dismounted, just as Thomas pulled into the driveway. She started to pat her horse, who Leo could now see was breathing heavily, and just for Leo to know, he saw her sneak a treat to the horse. Leo opened the car door by himself, and hopped out, leaving the luggage for Thomas. He started to clap lightly as not to startle the girl.

"That was very well done Miss. I haven't seen anyone ride like that since I was here eight months ago. Where did you learn?" He asked her. The girl's head snapped around, a hand to her heart. Her eyes widened in realisation and her head dropped in respect.

"Master Leo, I am Ashlynn Grant, the new stable-hand. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her thick Scottish accent only made her more beautiful.

"Please," he began, "Call me Leo." He stuck out his hand for her to slowly, and gently take in hers. Leo noticed how small her hand was in his, and how dainty her figure appeared. She was petite, but strong, the girl didn't look like she would snap if Leo took her close to his body. Leo shook all thoughts from his head. He shouldn't be thinking about this, when he only just met the girl. Jemma would know what to do.

Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons were only two halves to one thing. Fitzsimmons. You couldn't have Fitz without Simmons, and you couldn't have Simmons without Fitz. They went hand-in-hand. Leo and Jemma had a brother/sister relationship. They had a 'thing' once, but they thought they would work better together, if they weren't worrying if one of them was in the field. It was a reasonable solution.

"Leo. I'm sure you can just call me Ashlynn." She said gently and brought Leo out of his revelation with his thoughts.

"I suppose I can, Ashlynn. Why don't you come inside, and get a drink of water. I'm sure that race took quite a lot out of you." I put my hand on her elbow gently, mentally kicking myself as I felt the blush creep up my neck. I then started to pull her toward the mansion. Yes, MANSION. It was huge, but I was used to it. After all, I've lived in it for my entire life.

"Of course, as after all our races, it's hard to believe that I won for a change. Looks like all that training has paid off!" She grinned from ear to ear, as the words left so easily from her mouth. Leo couldn't believe it. She actually trained to beat Thomas? He was sure he could keep a small secret from her, at least for the time being.

"Nitro here, is one of the fastest horses I've ever ridden. He's also mine. My brother gave him to be a year ago, when he was three. I don't know what I would have done if Nitro wasn't by my side." She gave the horse in question, a soft pat on the neck. He nudged her as a sign of respect and trust.

"He's a magnificent horse. You're lucky to have him. I haven't seen my horse in eight months. His name was Majestic. Perfect horse for me. Great in show jumping, cross country, heck, he was perfect in anything you put him in." Leo smiled at the memory of his old, trustworthy horse. He was only four when he left, but Leo was the one that raised him since he was born.

"I know Majestic! I rode him just this morning! Still fit as a fiddle, and ready to be put back in competing, if you're staying?" She asked, a sly smile roamed onto her face. Leo looked at the girl.

"Honestly Ashlynn, I have no idea how long I'm staying. In my line of work, I can be called away at any given moment. My parents still worry about me coming home from it. Being an engineer isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

Thomas was patiently standing at the door to the mansion, his hand outstretched for Nitro's reins.

"Thank you Thomas." Ashlynn smiled, and handed them over to the man.

"It is my pleasure Mistress Ashlynn, Master Leo." He smiled, as he opened the door. Both Ashlynn and Leo looked at the man.

"I told you to drop the title Thomas!" They both said in unison. The poor man looked startled, whereas Ashlynn and Leo just looked at each other with small smiles on their faces.

They walked into the lobby of the mansion. Leo took a deep breathe in, reminiscing in the scent of his parents, and his childhood that he had missed so much. He turned to Ashlynn.

"So Ashlynn, tell me something about yourself." He said. He was curious about this girl's life. He didn't understand it, but there was something about her. Something familiar in a way.

"Well, I'm 20, turning 21 in a couple of weeks. My full name is Ashlynn Dionté Grant. I used to have another horse named Flame, but I had to sell him. I live here in the mansion, and I sometimes go back to my mother's house to see how she is. She hasn't been the same since..." She trailed off as her voice choked. Leo felt awkward when she started to cry. Never in his life had he had to deal with a crying woman. His mother and Jemma, sure, but he was familiar with them.

"Are you alright Ashlynn?" He asked, as he awkwardly put his hand on the small of her back. She then did something he didn't expect. She leaned into him. She leaned into his embrace. She balled up bits of his shirt between her fists, and buried her head in the crook of his neck. Leo wasn't sure what to do. He gently put his arms around her. One around her waist, the other around her shoulders. Sort of like a cocoon.

After a few minutes she pulled away. The cool air made the part of Leo's shirt cold from where Ashlynn's head rested on his shirt. He knew it was wrong to think about a girl he only just met, but he already missed having her in his arms. It felt wrong to not have her there.

"I'm sorry Leo." She whispered. She was so quiet, Leo thought her voice would be carried away with the wind.

"What for?" He asked. He gently rubbed her arms up and down with his hands, trying his best to comfort the girl that just broke down in his arms.

"For just breaking down like that. You don't even know me, and you comforted me. Why?" She asked. She looked up, her eyes an emerald green. Thomas was right. Her eyes really did rival the hills.

"Because that is what friends do. Friends help others in times of need. Friends will comfort no matter what the problem is, and even if we have only been friends for a short amount of time, I will still comfort you. Whatever is hurting you, I want you to know that I am going to be here, if you ever want to talk about it." He whispered. She smiled, and then buried her head back into the crook of his neck.

"Thank you Leo." She whispered.

"You're welcome Ashlynn. Please tell me if there is anything that I can do for you." He said, as he again, wrapped his arms around her waist and shoulders. At least he was getting comfortable quicker than he thought he would.

"I know." She replied, as her hands released only the slightest.

They stood there for what felt like a few minutes, but was only a few seconds, but was interrupted when Leo's phone rang from the back pocket of his jeans. Leo pulled away from Ashlynn with a small smile.

Leo excused himself, and walked out the door. He gave a small smile to Thomas, and a pat to Nitro, before he looked at the caller id. Coulson. He picked up instantaneously.

"Sir." He greeted. "What can I do for you?" He asked, as he awaited for instructions from his supervising officer.

"There's a small mission that is near you in Scotland, May and I are going to pick up Skye, Grant and Simmons, and then we're coming to the airstrip. Can you meet us there?" He asked, in a voice that meant 'don't mess with me'. It was what Leo liked to call, the 'Father Voice'.

"Of course sir. I'll have Thomas pick you up when you arrive. I'll have rooms, and a lab set up within the hour." I replied, my voice all business.

"Thank you Fitz. We'll be there in approximately five hours." With that said, Coulson hung up the phone, as he left Fitz to run a hand over his face, and to think about where he was going to put everyone and hide his "secret" from Ashlynn. Ashlynn was the only one who didn't know about his actual job.

"Thomas!" Fitz cried, as he walked over to the man. "Coulson, Simmons, May, Ward and Skye are coming here for a mission around here in Scotland. I need five separate rooms for them to stay in. The lab needs to be prepared, and we need to keep it on the down-low around Ashlynn. She doesn't know about what I actually do." With that said, Fitz walked into the lobby, and took a left and walked into the kitchen, where he found Ashlynn leaning her back against the bench, drinking out of a glass.

"Are you feeling better?" Leo asked her. She jumped slightly, but turned and smiled at him.

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry about that, and I do apologise, but I have to get back to my job that your mother is actually paying me to do, so I must leave." She took a deep breathe, as she was rambling and walked straight past him out of the kitchen, into the lobby then turned right out the door to grab the reins from Thomas.

That girl would always be a mystery to him, no matter how many times he talked to her, or what he found about her. He only just met her, but he knew that they instantly made a connection. Something was off about that girl, and Leo was dead set on finding out what. He poured himself a glass of water, and drank it welcomingly, as the cold liquid flowed down his throat. His thoughts then turned to a more pressing matter.

How was he going to keep Ashlynn away from his team, and his team away from Ashlynn?

Skye would probably be in the computer room, upgrading all the old systems, May and Ward would be in the training room, Coulson would be in Leo's father's office marvelling at all the collectibles he had, and Jemma would be cooped up in the lab downstairs. Just as long as he kept them out of the stables, then everything should be fine.

Leo, only just now realised how jet-lagged he truly was, headed upstairs to his old, trustworthy room. He opened the dark, oak door, to see that his room was exactly the way he left it. Spare parts for the Dwarf bots were strewn across the desk with blueprints for the bots design. His bed remained untouched, and unwrinkled. His books were still stacked the way he liked them, in alphabetical order, and his wardrobe was undisturbed. The only thing that was out of place was a small piece of paper, sitting on the top of his pillow. He walked over to it cautiously and curiously, and picked it up off the pillow. He opened it slowly.

_"They're coming for you._

_~Tithus"_

He looked around, confused and cautious. Who was Tithus, and who was coming for him? He tucked the note into his back pocket of his jeans, then climbed on the bed. His eyes fluttered closed, but snapped open again, as his thoughts drifted to the anonymous note. He got up off the bed, and walked down the stairs. He saw Thomas as he waited patiently at the door.

Leo got the note out of his back pocket, opened it and handed it to Thomas.

"Do you know who Tithus is?" Leo asked. Thomas read the note and flipped it over, then over again.

"No Master, I'm afraid I don't. Where did you find this note?" Thomas asked him.

"It was on my pillow." Leo replied, confused.

"We will have to deal with this later I'm afraid Master, we have to go pick up the others from the airstrip." I only just remembered of the mission we had to face.

"Let's go then." Leo said, as he walked out the front door of the mansion, and toward the stables. He spotted Ashlynn, as she lead a glistening Nitro into the back paddock. "Ashlynn!" He cried. She stopped walking, as her head turned toward me, and peaked over Nitro's back.

"Yes Leo?" She asked.

"I'm going out with Thomas for a while, and won't be back until later! Just continue to exercise the horses!" I cried. She gave a thumbs up, and continued to walk Nitro down to the back paddock.

I slipped into the limousine that had pulled up alongside me, and shut the door behind me. Thomas stepped on the acceleration, and we started to pick up speed, toward the airstrip.

After about ten minutes of driving, they arrived at the airstrip. The bus was sitting there, in all it's pride and glory. The cargo ramp was lowered and I see a small figure came running down it. Thomas opened the door, and I stepped out, just to figure out that the figure running toward me was Jemma.

I smiled, and opened my arms for her. She jumped into them and I twirled her around. Sure, it was only a few hours of separation, but I still missed her like crazy. I set her down gently then turned to the others.

"First off, welcome to Scotland. Second of all get in the limousine. I bet you're all jet-lagged, and none of us will be able to work if we're exhausted." Leo demanded. All of them looked at Leo in shock, but got in the limousine anyway.  
They were driving down the dirt road, when Thomas started to speed up a little. Leo looked out the window to see Ashlynn on a chestnut horse this time.

"Thomas." Leo warned.

"Yes Master." The man sighed, whereas everyone else stared at him in shock.

"First a limo, then a chauffeur who calls you Master, and a random girl that gallops horses alongside the limo. What next? A mansion?" Grant asked. Leo shrugged his shoulders sheepishly as the mansion came into view. Grant looked at him, eyes wide. "You've got to be kidding." He said in disbelief.

"No, I'm not. What's our mission Coulson?" He answered Grant, then turned his attention to Coulson.

"Track down an organisation called Tithus."

Leo felt all the colour drain from his face. Surely this couldn't be the same Tithus? Something was wrong, and there was something telling him that it wasn't going to end well...

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Well, I hoped you all enjoyed the very first chapter of Coming Home! I hope you give this a chance, and stick with it to thneed, because the next chapter will be very interesting indeed ;)

~DancerOfDanger


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